Fishing at Blanch Lake, Newaygo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Blanch Lake sits in Newaygo County, out in Michigan. The setting is lake country bush on every side. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Newaygo sits 5.4 miles from the bank. Grand Rapids sits 27 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Blanch Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and johnny darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Blanch Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 70°F, while January sits near 21°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. On average, early April opens the water and mid December closes it again. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Blanch Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Launch at Blanche Lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Skipperville Lake, 2.7 miles out. Treat access at Blanch Lake as something to verify.